Pakistan’s security forces rejected what they described as “unfounded and misleading” allegations regarding a tragic incident in the Mir Ali area of North Waziristan, in which civilian lives were lost.
In a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Wednesday following the May 19 incident, security officials said the claims circulating on social and some media platforms were part of a “coordinated disinformation campaign” aimed at undermining the armed forces' ongoing counterterrorism operations in the region.
The military’s media wing said that a “comprehensive investigation” had been launched immediately after the attack. According to initial findings, the incident was “orchestrated and executed by Indian-sponsored Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) also known as Fitna Al Khwarij,” a proscribed militant outfit that has been blamed for past attacks in the tribal districts.
“These elements, acting at the behest of their Indian masters, have long resorted to using civilian populations and residential areas as shields to carry out acts of terrorism,” the statement read, adding that the tactic was aimed at driving a wedge between the local communities and the armed forces.
The security forces maintained that such attempts to malign their role would not succeed in diverting attention from the real culprits.
“Security forces remain resolute and committed to uprooting terrorism in all its forms and ensuring that the perpetrators of this inhuman act are brought to justice,” the statement added.
